Embodiments herein generally relate to color management in digital image processing and, more particularly, to a color management system and an associated method that provide user's with a natural language description to explain color differences between the same objects in two different versions of the same digital document (e.g., an original version and a print-preview version).
Soft-proofing in the context of color management in digital image processing is a term of art generally understood to mean evaluating the colors of objects within a displayed visual representation of a digital version of a document. For example, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/138,846 of Roulland et al., filed on Jun. 13, 2008, assigned to Xerox Corporation of Norwalk, Conn., USA, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, the color gamut, emulation profiles, and color rendering settings of a printing apparatus may result in color variations between objects in a digital version of a document and the same objects in a printed version of the document. In order to preemptively address such color variation issues, color management systems allow a user to soft-proof a displayed print-preview version of the document to ensure that, when the document is eventually printed by the printing apparatus, the colors of objects within the printed document will be identical to or will vary within acceptable limits from the colors of the same objects in an accepted digital version of the document (e.g., an original digital version of the document, as input into or generated by the system). Thus, soft-proofing constitutes an important final verification step before sending a document to a printing apparatus. The clear advantage of soft-proofing over printed-proofing is to enable quick, effective and remote proofing without producing a physical print out (i.e, without wasting time, paper and ink).
Currently, in order to be effective, soft-proofing must be performed in a calibrated and optimal viewing environment. That is, the visual display unit (i.e., the display, monitor, screen, etc.) must be correctly calibrated for lightness, chroma, hue, etc. so that the colors appearing in the displayed print-preview version of the document are the same as the colors that would appear in the printed document. Furthermore, the lighting conditions must be optimal so that the user's visual perception is not hindered. Without proper visual display unit calibration and without optimal lighting conditions, the trustworthiness and, thereby the usefulness of soft-proofing becomes limited. Unfortunately, visual display unit calibration requires proper calibration tools, a certain competency level to operate such tools, and a significant amount of time to perform such a calibration process. Furthermore, optimal viewing conditions are not always possible to achieve.
In view of the foregoing disclosed herein are embodiments of a color management system and an associated method that display a visual representation of a digital version of a document and further annotate selected object(s) in the visual representation with corresponding statement(s) containing a natural language description of any color differences between the selected object and the same object in a different digital version of the same document. For example, a visual representation of the print-preview version of a document can be displayed and a selected object within the visual representation can be annotated with a statement containing a natural language description of any color differences between the selected object and the same object in the selected-for-print-preview version of the document. By annotating selected object(s) on the display in this manner, the embodiments provide an accurate indication of color variations between the two versions even in a non-calibrated and/or non-optimal viewing environment.
More particularly, disclosed herein are embodiments of a color management system. The color management system embodiments can comprise a processor. This processor can compare the colors of selected object(s) in two different versions of the same document (i.e., a first digital version and a second digital version). For example, the first digital version can comprise a selected-for-print-preview digital version of a document (e.g., a specific electronic file selected by a user for printing) and the second digital version can comprise a print-preview digital version of the same document. This print-preview digital version can be created based on the selected-for-print-preview digital version and on a color profile of a specific printing apparatus.
During the comparison process and for each selected object, the processor can determine a difference between a first color of the selected object in the first digital version and a second color of the same object in the second digital version of the document. Then, the processor can generate a descriptive statement providing a natural language description of any differences between the first color and the second color (including, if applicable, a statement that there are no differences). Specifically, this descriptive statement can indicate, using a natural language description, any of the following: a difference in lightness between the first color and the second color, a difference in chroma between the first color and the second color, a difference in hue between the first color and the second color. The descriptive statement can further indicate, again using a natural language description, the magnitude of any of the above-listed differences (i.e., the magnitude of the difference in lightness, the difference in chroma and/or the difference in hue). The descriptive statement can also indicate a change in color name.
The color management system embodiments can further comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a visual display unit. This GUI can display, on the visual display unit, a visual representation of the second digital version of the document. The GUI can further annotate the selected object with the descriptive statement. That is, the GUI can also display, on the visual display unit, the descriptive statement such that it is associated in some manner with the selected object. Optionally, the GUI can simultaneously display a visual representation of the first digital version of the document to allow a side-by-side comparison. Additionally, in response to such a descriptive statement, the GUI can receive, from a user, a request to adjust the second color (e.g., towards the first color or towards a different color, depending upon the application). In this case, a second natural language descriptive statement can be generated by the processor and annotated to the object. This second natural language descriptive statement can describe either one or more possible solutions that the user may choose to implement or a best possible solution automatically implemented by the processor.
It should be noted that the selection of which object or objects from the document will be processed, as described above, can be made automatically by the processor based on predetermined conditions, a priori by the user, and/or dynamically by the user. That is, the processor can automatically select an object from amongst a plurality of objects in a document based on the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions can include, but are not limited to, the difference between the first color of an object in the first digital version of the document and the second color of that same object in the second digital version of the document exceeding a predetermined color change threshold, the difference between the first color of an object in the first digital version of the document and the second color of that same object in the second digital version of the document crossing a color boundary (e.g., a perceptual color boundary or an analytic color boundary), and the size of an object exceeding a predetermined size threshold. Additionally and/or alternatively, a user can pre-select an object from amongst a plurality of objects in the document (e.g., based on its perceived importance) prior to display of the visual representation by the GUI and/or can dynamically select an object from amongst a plurality of objects in the document (e.g., based on a perceived color difference or lack thereof) after display of the visual representation by the GUI.
Also disclosed herein are embodiments of an associated computer-implemented color management method. The color management method embodiments can comprise comparing, by a processor, the colors of selected object(s) in two different versions of the same document (i.e., a first digital version and a second digital version). For example, the first digital version can comprise a selected-for-print-preview digital version of a document (e.g., a specific electronic file selected by a user for printing) and the second digital version can comprise a print-preview digital version of the same document. This print-preview digital version can be created based on the selected-for-print-preview digital version and on a color profile of a specific printing apparatus.
During the comparison process and for each selected object, a difference between a first color of the selected object in the first digital version and a second color of the same object in the second digital version of the document can be determined. Next, a descriptive statement providing a natural language description of any differences between the first color and the second color (including, if applicable, a statement that there are no differences) can be generated. This descriptive statement can indicate, using a natural language description, any of the following: a difference in lightness between the first color and the second color, a difference in chroma between the first color and the second color, a difference in hue between the first color and the second color. The descriptive statement can further indicate, again using a natural language description, the magnitude of any of the above-listed differences (i.e., the magnitude of the difference in lightness, the difference in chroma and/or the difference in hue).
The color management method embodiments can further comprise displaying, on a visual display unit of a graphical user interface (GUI), a visual representation of the second digital version of the document and further annotating the selected object with the descriptive statement. That is, the descriptive statement can also be displayed on the visual display unit such that it is associated in some manner with the selected object. Optionally, a visual representation of the first digital version of the document can be simultaneously displayed to allow a side-by-side comparison. After a user has viewed the displayed visual representation, including the descriptive statement, a request can be received from a user to adjust the second color (e.g., towards the first color or towards a different color, depending upon the application. Additionally, in response to such a descriptive statement, a request to adjust the second color (e.g., towards the first color or towards a different color, depending upon the application) can be received. In this case, a second natural language descriptive statement can be generated and annotated to the object. This second natural language descriptive statement can describe either one or more possible solutions that the user may choose to implement or a best possible solution automatically implemented by the processor.
It should be noted that the selection of which object or objects from the document will be processed, as described above, can be made automatically based on predetermined conditions, a priori by the user, and/or dynamically by the user. That is, the method embodiments can comprise automatically selecting an object from amongst a plurality of objects in a document based on the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions can include, but are not limited to, the difference between the first color of an object in the first digital version of the document and the second color of that same object in the second digital version of the document exceeding a predetermined color change threshold, the difference between the first color of an object in the first digital version of the document and the second color of that same object in the second digital version of the document crossing a color boundary (e.g., a perceptual color boundary or an analytic color boundary), and the size of an object exceeding a predetermined size threshold. Additionally and/or alternatively, the method embodiment can comprise receiving one or more object selections from a user (i.e., selections of specific object(s) from amongst a plurality of objects in the document) prior to displaying the visual representation (e.g., based on its perceived importance) and/or, after displaying the visual representation (e.g., based on a perceived color difference or lack thereof).
Finally, also disclosed herein are embodiments of a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer useable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code being configured to perform a color management method embodiments.
These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.